A New Way to Resolve

It's resolution time of year and predictably I find myself with a list of self improvements and goals for 2013. In theory I think resolutions are dumb because they are often too vague or overreaching and therefore get abandoned before the first flip of the calendar. However, I do like to use each New Year as a time for some reflection and motivation to accomplish those things that have been languishing on the to-do list for too long.

This year I did things a little differently. I started with my resolution to "be better with money." I sat down and brainstormed a bunch of specific things about our family finances that were bugging me and ended up with a list of about ten points. Each mini-resolution then became a monthly task, making the entire process a series of doable steps. For example, my January item is to make up a monthly budget. Meeting it will come later, but first things first, start with a budget. I realize this approach is Project Management 101 and how I get things done in my day job, but for some reason it never occurred to me to apply these principles to my personal life, too.

My 2013 exercise resolution is simple: To run 10 km. I did this once when I was 18 and unlike those who feel the pull to run half then full marathons (you know who you are!), I was quite satisfied with this distance. Since this is a new year's resolution I'm giving myself the whole year to be able to do it. I figure if I start with 1 km in January and add a kilometer every month, I should be on track to run my goal distance by November. It may not seem ambitious, but that's OK. I'm more interested in achievable.

As I look out upon the snow storm that just descended on Calgary, I'm already finding excuses not to leave the warm cozy of my house. Hopefully by reviving OSJ and making my declaration public I will be shamed into doing it. And maybe motivate some others along the way... 

View from my back window: NOT MOTIVATING!